Niyonga's Journey

Chapter 8

As we are taken behind the big house, we see hundreds of shacks, an absolutely huge field of cotton plants with so many Africans working in them. As we are lead towards the end of the big field, the man turns around and starts to speak. Of course i cannot understand him but assume of the others i am chained with do and they nod their heads after almost everything he says. 

"What's he saying? " i ask one of the people who understand.

"He said that were gonna be given specific jobs. He says all of the women will go over here to work by the river but some of us will work in the big house. " the woman responds to me in my language.

"How do you know what that man says? " i ask her.

"This isn't my first time at a plantation. I got taken from my village just like you when i was only 12. After working out in them fields for 20 years, i learned the language of them white people,  its called 'English'. You're gonna have to learn it too before they punish you for not knowing." She says. I wince again, remembering the pain of the man's whip searing through my back.

"You MUST teach me the language!" I beg.

"I do not want to be hurt again."

"Don't you worry, child. Theirs a lot of us 'round here who speak the language. Youll soon learn it." She responds.

"Thank you ma'am!" I say.

"What is your name?" I ask the woman.

"Me? My name is Narii. What's yours?" She asks.

"My name is Niyonga." I say.

"Niyonga." She  says. "Thats a beautiful name."

"Thank you..." I say, remembering my mama being taken away by those other men and start to cry "My mama gave it to me." I finish, fully crying now.

"Oh, no dont cry baby! Itll be alright! Dont think about that right now." Narii Casays in a comforting voice as she tries to put her hand on my head but cant due to the shackles.

Just then, i hear that horrible crack of the mans whip and i freeze in my tracks to look at him and so do the rest. He starts to speak and point, but i dont know what hes saying. Im just standing here with a confused and sad look on my face. After he finishes speaking, we start to move again. I dont know where we are going so i just stay in sync with the rest of the woman infront of me.

Narii looks over her shoulder and says to me

"We are being assigned to our quarters. Woman over here, and men over there." She says as she points to the little shack-like houses to the right and left of us.

As we reach the quarters, the man starts to speak again. He says the same 3 words to everyone, and then points to a shack. Im shaking with fear as i walk up to the man and he says the three words to me and points, i just look at him, and then look back to Narii with a What Do I do look on my face. As i look back to her, the man grabs me and turns me around to face him. He shouts 5 words into my face angrily. What do i do!? I dont know what he said! I do not reply and stay silent. He gets more angry and reaches for his whip. I cower. He raises his arm, ready to strike.

"No!" Narri screams. The man releases me from his hard grasp and walks toward Narii with his whip raised.